We examined the intensity and anisotropy decay of DNA labeled with two ruthenium metal-ligand complexes, [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+ and [Ru(phe)2(dppz)]2+. Both complexes display high emission anisotropies in the asence of rotational diffusion, making them suitable probes for rotational motions. When bound to DNA, this complex display decay time as long as 294 ns, providing long living probes for DNA. The use of metal-ligand complexes allows resolution of both the torsional and bending motions of DNA.